When he ran for president, he tried to present himself as a man of character in comparison to Trump. That expanded to having the right experience to deal with a pandemic and recession. Now there's also the threat of mob violence, Trump's legacy, and negotiating with an opposition party facing its own dilemmas.
After the attack on the Capitol by pro-Trump rioters, the country is in a race over hot coals to get to the end of this week. Washington looks like a city in a war zone under an occupying force. Any chance of a clean break for Biden as president is gone. It will be a full-on clean-up job.
There were street celebrations in US cities after Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris won. This time the crowds will be virtual - apart from the thousands of armed troops there to ensure the inauguration goes ahead.
The new US leaders will concentrate on subduing the coronavirus and re-booting the economy. That focus has been complicated by the upcoming trial of Trump in the Senate and setbacks with the distribution of vaccines.
Biden's decision to go big with an aggressive US$1.9 trillion (NZ$2.6t) relief plan shows he will scrap hard to dominate the agenda. He doesn't want to be trapped in Trumpian chaos.
The money will be used to ramp up coronavirus vaccinations, provide money for states, and stimulus relief to families and small businesses. A comprehensive plan and clear direction from the federal government has been sorely lacking.
By hammering home in clear terms the urgent need for help, Biden is trying to build support for his plan and to put pressure on anyone in Congress thinking of opposing it.
Biden also intends to take a leaf out of Trump's book and make use of Executive Orders to get things done quickly. Maybe he is also following Trump in pushing a lot at once, to keep opponents off balance.
With the Democrats controlling the new House and Senate by narrow margins, Biden's agenda will get a hearing. Republican support will be needed for some things.
Republicans will balk at the price tag for pandemic relief and will try to peel parts of the plan away. It will be a test of Biden's negotiating abilities and whether there is a big enough group of Republicans in the Senate prepared to work with Democrats.
Just how Trump's trial and the Republican Party's internal tensions affect Biden's agenda remains to be seen. Republican officials are split among those who want to leave Trumpism behind and those who see political advantage in keeping the flame alive.
Biden wants his team to be known for competency. He has been methodical in his cabinet selections. He sets goals and is organised about trying to achieve them. He has spent a lot of time outlining his practical and policy aims.
Biden, who used to take the daily train to Delaware as a senator, had to scrap plans to travel to his inauguration by rail for security reasons.
A slow, determined train is coming to Washington, nevertheless.
